US008601800B2

(12) United States Patent

Ojima
(54) GREEN MUFFLER

(10) Patent N0.:

US 8,601,800 B2
Dec. 10, 2013

(45) Date of Patent:

(56) References Cited

(76) Inventor:
(
*

Akinobu Ojima, Burbank, CA (U S)

Subject' to any d1scla1mer, the term ofth1s
patent 1s extended or adjusted under 35
U-S-C- 154(1)) by 289 days~ ~ ~ 3,718,733

U-S- PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,742,682 A *
A *

Not1ce.

7/1973 Ligutom
11/1981 Coyle

2/1973

Gehri

....................... ..

423/213.2

96/265

3,768,981 A .1 W973 Aniger

4,300,924 A * .....

422/171
. . . .. 96/247

4,399,107 A *

8/1983

Bose ......... ..

422/170

(21)

App1_ NO; 12/925,641

6,240,725 B1 *
7,065,962 B2 *

6/2001 Scappatura .
6/2006

60/311

Boncodin ..................... .. 60/310

(22)
(65)

Filed:

Oct. 26, 2010

* Cited by examiner
Primary Examiner * Binh Q Tran (74) Allow/6y, Age/11, or Firm * Ruth Eure

Prior Publication Data Us 2011/0099986 A1 May 5, 2011

(57)
Related US, Application Data
_ _ _ _

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an automotive exhaust system

that removes harmful contaminants from engine exhaust and

(60)

PrOVlslOnal apphcanon NO- 61/280,307 ?led on NOV-

thus reduces air pollution, presents a number of distinct and

2, 2009(51)
(52)

signi?cant bene?ts and advantages. Foremost, the Green

Muffler subjects engine exhaust gases to a tWo-stage cleans ing and puri?cation process, ?rst scrubbing the gases in a

Int Cl FMN 3/04

U-s- Cl-

(200601)

recirculating air-and-Water bath; and then combining the

remnant gases With an air-freshening chemical before release
to the atmosphere. The Green Muffler, then, serves to loWer a

USPC ----------------- -~ 60/310; 60/279; 60/281; 60/295;

60/297; 60/309; 60/311; 60/317; 60/319; 95/151; 95/189; 95/200

(58) Field Of ClaSSi?Catiml Search USPC ......... .. 60/274, 279, 281, 295, 297, 298, 310,

vehicles carbon-dioxide and carbon-monoxide emissions and thereby reduces the level of air pollution and atmospheric
Warming due to car exhaust. Further, the Green Muffler

reduces the temperature of vehicle exhaust, another plus for

60/311,315,316, 317, 318, 320, 309; 95/150,151,188,189,199,200

See application ?le for complete search history.

the planet
1 Claim, 2 Drawing Sheets

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US. Patent

Dec. 10, 2013

Sheet 1 012

US 8,601,800 B2

60

Fig. 4

10

Fig. 1

US 8,601,800 B2
1
GREEN MUFFLER CLAIM OF PRIORITY

2
RecogniZing the potential to create a cleaner, more ef?cient

exhaust system for motor vehicle engines, the present inven

tion, hereinafter referred to as the Green Muf?er, Was devel

This patent application claims priority under 35 USC 119 (e)(1) from US. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/280,307 ?led Nov. 2, 2009, of common inventorship here With entitled, Green Muf?er.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

oped. Simply stated, the Green Muf?er is an exhaust-and muf?er system for the internal-combustion engines of motor vehicles, the intent being to cleanse, cool, and even scent the vehicles exhaust before it leaves the tailpipe. The Green Muf?er is manufactured by the Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories industry, Standard Industrial Code 3714. The Green Muf?er 10 intercedes betWeen the engines exhaust

The present invention pertains to the ?eld of engine exhaust and muf?er systems for internal combustion engines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

manifold, catalytic converter, and the vehicles tailpipe, and constitutes a complete system for cleaning and purifying the engines exhaust, cooling it, and then releasing it into the atmosphere as a relatively benign gas. Upon leaving the engine manifold and catalytic converter, the exhaust gases 20
are forced doWn an exhaust pipe 26, With this pipe emptying
into a tank or reservoir 24 half-?lled With Water 18. NoW this
20

The prior art has put forth several designs for treatment of engine exhaust. Among these are:
US. Pat. No. 4,783,958 to Antonio B. Borja describes an exhaust gas processing device and method comprising a series of portions for passage of exhaust gas Wherein the ?rst

reservoir 24 is equipped With a recirculating pump 30, such that Water is constantly being pulled out of the reservoir 24
and recirculated back into the reservoir 24 via the same pipe 20 the exhaust gases 20 are entering through. The intended effect of this continual Washing or scrubbing cycle is to remove contaminants from the exhaust gases 20. The scrubbed exhaust gases 40 are then pulled from the air cham ber 16 of the reservoir 24, by a vacuum pump 46, back into the exiting exhaust pipe 48, Where a standard muf?er 60 is

portion receives the gas and a liquid that is vaporiZed to coagulate particulate matter in the gas, the second portion comprises ?lters and the third portion having a liquid reser voir. US. Pat. No. 6,402,816 to Gordon S. Trivett and D.
AndreW Trivett describes a gas scrubber comprising a tank of

25

installed to dampen the engines sound. Finally, adjacent to

the tailpipe itself, a second reservoir and pump blends a
30

scrubbing liquid into Which a doWnconer pipe feeds inlet gas and fresh scrubbing liquid from a plenum. US. Pat. No. 6,616,733 to Roy J. Pellegrin describes a
method and means for ?ltering an air stream With an aqueous

cooled, air-freshening chemical 50 With the remnant exhaust gases, Which are then released into the atmosphere, cleaned,

safe, and freshly scented.

35

froth. US. Pat. No. 7,163,571 to Ying Gang Ruan describes an

exhaust gas cooler and particulate scrubbing system compris

ing an intercooler. None of these prior art references describe the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Green Muf?er, an automotive exhaust system that removes harmful contaminants from engine exhaust and thus reduces air pollution, presents a number of distinct and sig

ni?cant bene?ts and advantages. Foremost, the Green Muf?er subjects engine exhaust gases to a tWo-stage cleansing and puri?cation process, ?rst scrubbing the gases in a recirculat ing air-and-Water bath; and then combining the remnant gases
40

With an air-freshening chemical before release to the atmo sphere. The Green Muf?er, then, serves to loWer a vehicles

It is an object of the present invention to provide an

improved method for cleaning an engines exhaust.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
45

carbon-dioxide and carbon-monoxide emissions and thereby reduces the level of air pollution and atmospheric Warming
due to car exhaust. Further, the Green Muf?er reduces the

temperature of vehicle exhaust, another plus for the planet.

The Green Muf?er technology can presumably be introduced into the design not only of automobile and truck motors, but

FIG. 1 is a schematic shoWing the relative position of the elements of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram shoWing the placement of the present
invention on an engine.
50

also to laWnmoWers, generators, motorcycles, virtually any

machine relying on an internal-combustion engine. Clean, quiet, and environmentally friendly, the Green Muf?er Was conceived With a cleaner, healthier planet in mind, and Will strongly appeal not only to consumers, but also to the manu facturers of motor vehicles and other gas- or diesel-poWered machines. An engine-exhaust and muf?er system for internal combustion engines, the Green Muf?er results in loWer,

FIG. 3 shoWs the present invention in the exhaust system of an engine.

FIG. 4 shoWs a muf?er on the exhaust pipe of an engine. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the present invention.
55

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

cleaner exhaust emissions from equipped engines. Cleverly

conceived and thoughtfully designed, the Green Muf?er can be incorporated into the manufacture of automobile and truck
engines, as Well as a Wide variety of vehicles and machines
60

The industrialized and industrialiZing World continues to belch carbon-dioxide, the culprit most often identi?ed With

global Warming, produced by the combustion of coal and oil,

and the exhaust emissions of cars, into the atmosphere. There
fore, We must reduce our carbon-dioxide emissions for the sustainability of the planet. When We Wonder What We can do as individuals to help With such enormous problems, We can

Which rely on internal-combustion engines for their motive force. The Green Muf?er Will appeal strongly to consumer
households and motoring public, as Well as to the motor

vehicle and small-engine manufacturing sector.

65

adopt technologies that result in cleaner vehicles and loWer

air pollution. One such technology is provided by the present

invention.

Although this invention has been described With respect to speci?c embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto and various modi?cations Which Will become apparent to the
person of ordinary skill in the art are intended to fall Within

US 8,601,800 B2
3
the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein taken

in conjunction With the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

The invention claimed is: 1. An improved device for cleaning the exhaust from an 5 internal combustion engine comprising a device mounted

betWeen the engines exhaust manifold, catalytic converter,

and the vehicles tailpipe, and constitutes a complete system

for cleaning and purifying the engines exhaust, cooling it,

and then releasing it into the atmosphere as a relatively benign 10 gas, Wherein exhaust gases leave the engine manifold and
catalytic converter, and the exhaust gases are forced doWn an

exhaust pipe, With this exhaust pipe emptying into a tank or reservoir half-?lled With Water, Wherein the reservoir is
equipped With a recirculating pump, such that Water is con- 15

stantly being pulled out of the reservoir and recirculated back

into the reservoir by means of the same pipe the exhaust gases

are entering through thus creating scrubbed gases, and Wherein the effect of this continual Washing or scrubbing
cycle is to remove contaminants from the exhaust gases, and 20 Wherein the scrubbed exhaust gases are then pulled from the air chamber of the reservoir, by a vacuum pump, back into the exiting exhaust pipe, Where a standard muffler is installed to

dampen the engines sound, and further comprising a reser

voir and pump blends a cooled, air-freshening chemical With 25 the remnant exhaust gases, Which are then released into the

atmosphere, cleaned, safe, and freshly scented.

* * * * *